What they don't know
by looneytails
Summary: And another thing no one ever knew about James Potter was that he was really good at seeing people for what they really were.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter.

**What they don't know** by kacau.

People knew many things about James Potter.

They knew that his parents were a bit old, because his mother had problems getting pregnant. They knew he had been pampered in his childhood. They knew he had gotten his quidditch skills from his father, who had played as a beater in his Hogwarts' time. They knew he loved playing pranks.

What they didn't know was the reasons behind it all.

They didn't know that Emily Potter had had uterus cancer for 15 years before it finally regressed. They didn't know how happy the Potters had been with his birth; it was a true miracle. They didn't know how much time James spent outside his house, improving his quidditch skills, because he wanted to make his father proud. They didn't know that breaking the rules was the only way he'd found to show his parents it was okay to be angry with him sometimes.

And another thing no one ever knew about James Potter was that he was really good at seeing people for what they really were.

* * *

><p>Sitting there, waiting as the train took them to their first year at Hogwarts, James looked at the other boy in the compartment.<p>

Sirius Black was across from him, staring at the glass of the door, concentrated. He didn't know much about the boy but, from what they'd talked until then, he could tell he was gonna be a good friend. He had this look in his eyes, as if he wanted to prove himself.

James Potter smiled, saying something about the Chudley Canons. Sirius seemed to wake up with this and they went back to talking.

James found out he respected the opinion of this boy more than he had ever respected anyone else's.

* * *

><p>As they walked to the entrance hall, a boy tripped and fell down the stairs. He and Sirius sniggered but moved so they could help the poor bloke. But another boy had been faster and was already making sure the chubby one was okay. James aproached them anyway, smiling.<p>

The second boy was skinny and seemed extremely tired, his hair was a light brown and his clothes were a bit large for him. Remus Lupin looked at them, between curiosity and suspicious.

"Hey. I'm James Potter and this is my mate, Sirius Black." Sirius smiled as James introduced him as his friend. The Potter boy just grew even more fond of him. He turned to the chubby boy. "Are you all right? It was a nasty fall."

Peter Pettigrew just nodded, his eyes filled with admiration. "I-I'm Peter Pettigrew." He stuttered out. James thought he looked frightned, defenseless, a bit of a suck up and not very bright. He also thought this guy was the kind that always needed protection from others.

"I'm Remus Lupin." His voice was serene and he smiled. Remus was different from any other kid James had ever seen. He seemed kind and calm, holding a friendly expression but never showing too much emotion. He also thought this boy might have something hidden.

* * *

><p>"Remus, just tell us where you go and we will let you!" Sirius Black exclaimed, looking irritated. The other boy sent a look to the window, the sky was getting darker and darker by the minutes. James frowned and stared at his friends, starting to understand it all.<p>

"Sirius, let him go." His tone was hard so the other wouldn't question. "Remus, go, we can have this talk another time." Lupin looked at him, grateful, knowing he had figured it out somehow. Black seemed transtornated, but moved away from the door.

"Can I ask you what was that for?" His best friend almost yelled. James shrugged, sitting in his bed. He looked sick.

"Sirius, Peter, you guys don't really care for breed, do you?" His friends answered, saying how stupid that question was and how they had never been prejudiced. "Good, because Remus is a werewolf and we have to find a way to help him."

Peter almost fell out of his bed. James would never tell his friend this, but he asked himself if the sorting hat had put him in the right house. The boy didn't had one brave bone in his body. He had a strange feeling about Pettigrew's cowardness but preferred not to say anything.

Sirius paled and took a deep breath. "Yes, we have."

* * *

><p>"Sirius, what have you done?" James yelled as he ran down the hallway.<p>

"I don't know, Prongs! I know I shouldn't have but I was so angry I didn't even think about the consequences." Luckly for him, the little bomb hadn't exploded yet and they'd managed to desarm it before the whole DADA classroom was destroyed.

"I know it was wrong. That's why I asked for your help." He said to James later, when they'd gone back to their dorm.

"I know you didn't mean for anything to happen, but people could have been hurt by the explosion, Padfoot." Sirius looked down at his hands, feeling the worst of men. James tried to cheer him up but made a note to himself to be careful about Sirius' ideas. He tended to get a little inconsequent when taken by his hatred. It could lead to more dangerous situations in the future.

* * *

><p>"Peter has been strange lately. He's always disappearing for hours and he doesn't want to tell us where he was when he comes back." James said, suspicious. Sirius waved his hand, eating another one of the chocolate muffins his cousin Andromeda had sent him.<p>

"I bet he has a girlfriend he doesn't want to tell us about." Sirius laughed, now trying to imagine what kind of girl would want to go out with Peter.

"Well, you can't really blame him, can you, Padfoot? You and Prongs always make fun of wormtail because of girls." Remus dropped the book he had been reading, joining the conversation. Sirius grinned and shrugged.

"I guess, Moony." James said, examining the map without success. They could say whatever they wanted, but James knew there was something wrong with Peter. He just didn't know if he wanted to find out.

* * *

><p>It was many years later that James Potter saw Lily Evans again. He had known her from the train ride but he hadn't paid her any attention then. They were on Potions class and Slughorn had made him seat with her, because they were on O.W.L.'s year and he had melted his cauldron last class.<p>

She didn't seem very happy about it but agreed to help him nonetheless. It wasn't until she had laughed of his impression of a blind lizard (in which he tripped over the chair and almost fell inside the potion) that he'd realized that she was a very pretty girl.

In the days that followed, he noticed she was kind, friendly, intelligent and a little naive. He couldn't help it but to fall in love for her.

* * *

><p>"Lily! Lily!" He ran down the hallway, trying to catch up with her. The redhead turned around, confused. It was the Christmas holiday of their seventh year and she wanted to get a book out of the library before it closed.<p>

"What is it, James?" She asked, her voice sounding sweet and a bit annoyed. He was still running. He tried to stop and grabbed the first thing that he saw ─ which just happened to be the Head Girl ─ tacking it to the ground with him. They looked at eachother for a moment. "Potter, I can't breath." She whispered.

He supported himself off the ground but didn't move, a little entranced by their proximity and her scent. "Lily?" His voice was husky and his mint breath made her shiver. He noticed that and smirked. "Enjoying the moment?" He teased, his mouth close to her ear.

"You wish." Lily tried to make it sound angry, but she felt too dazzled by his presence and it came as a murmur. He laughed.

"Yes, I do." And, with that, he caressed her ear with his lips. He planted light kisses in her face, drawing a line to her mouth. Their lips touched and he kissed her gently. She responded. After a minute, he got up, offering her a hand. Still enraptured, she didn't say anything. James kissed her hand in an old fashioned manner and started walking back to the common room.

It wasn't until he was turning the corner that she realized what had happened.

"Potter!" She yelled. "What the hell was that?" She was fuming. James took that as a warn and started running. He could tell her the Prefect's meeting was gonna be tonight when she'd already calmed down a little. At least, now he knew she liked him too.

* * *

><p>When you think about it, it wasn't really so strange that James found the love of his life when he was only 15 years old. He had always been really good at seeing people for what they were and knowing exactly what he wanted. It didn't matter if she was crazy tempered, it didn't matter if she needed time to warm up to him, he wouldn't give up on her.<p>

If there was one thing that everybody knew James Potter was, was persistent.

* * *

><p>I hope you liked this story. I just felt like doing something cute about them. I'm Brazilian so forgive my mistakes. Review! =) I corrected my mispell of quidditch. In Brazil, it was translated to quadribol.<p> 


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